Antioxidants benefits

An antioxidant is a substance which gives up electrons easily so it can neutralize oxidants, including free radicals. Unfortunately, these protective systems may not always be adequate when the system becomes overloaded with free radicals.

When the antioxidants of the body are overwhelmed, free radicals stabilize themselves by stealing electrons from chemically stable compounds, often causing the generation of more free radicals which react further with other compounds, causing yet more damage. These split second chain reactions spread throughout the body, attacking vulnerable sites in the cells and causing damage that can result in chronic disease.

Free radicals can be produced in dangerous amounts by irritants such as cigarette smoke, pesticides, air pollution, ultraviolet light and radiation which are all too common in the environments in which most of us live. Stress and excessive exercise can also produce large amounts of free radicals.

Vitamins may exert their antioxidant effects by acting as circuit breakers. They insert themselves into the free radical chain reaction and are altered without generating further free radicals. Antioxidants benefits are huge. Antioxidants interact to protect each other. Vitamin C can react with a damaged vitamin E molecule and convert it back to its antioxidant form. Vitamin C is then returned to its original form by another antioxidant known as glutathione. This may explain the result of studies which show that vitamin C enhances the protective effects of vitamin E.